A Million Years
by 263Adder
Summary: Set after 1x21. Fitzsimmons visit the Atlantic Ocean. Written & published on A03 before season finale of AoS.


"We need to stay calm."

"Stay calm!"

"Everything's going to be fine."

"Except we're trapped in a steel box in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and are facing either a slow death of asphyxiation or a painful death of drowning…"

"Or sharks eating us, don't forget sharks." Fitz muttered.

"Fitz." Jemma snapped.

"Listen." He said and crossed the room putting his hands on her shoulders. She relaxed a little under his touch. "We still have the trackers which means the team will find us, we just have to hold on tight."

"That is if they even realise they've been activated. And then they might not even get here in time."

Fitz wanted to argue with her but he knew she was right. There was every possibility they might die here.

Jemma moved away from him and sat against one of the walls. "Why did you try and reason with him Fitz?" She said sadly.

"I just…" He tried to sit next to her but the box jerked to one side forcing him to hastily stand up again.

"Maybe you should sit on the other side so we stay flat?"

He took her advice and sank to the ground opposite her. "I just can't reconcile the idea of the Ward we knew and the one who works for Hydra."

"The Ward we lived with never existed Fitz." Jemma said harshly. "It was just a lie."

"I can't believe that. If that's true then it means…it means he risked his life jumping out of a plane for you and protected me on that bloody mission in Ossentia just to gain our trust. It had to mean something. He had to care about us to do that!"

"Obviously not." Jemma said coldly. "Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here."

"Obviously." He still couldn't comprehend it though. "I guess it's a bit like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I just can't accept they're the same person you know?"

"Yeah." She didn't sound convinced but her voice was kinder now.

The box was softly rocking now. There was too much oxygen inside for them to sink, for now.

Fitz looked at Jemma who had her eyes shut and was shaking her head ever so slightly.

"Jems?"

She looked at him.

"Leo."

"At least we're together."

"Yes Leo. At least we're together."

"Where we belong."

"How's that?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"It makes sense we'd die stuck inside a lab. I'd just always thought it would be of some experiment gone wrong or you poisoning my lunch with cat liver."

"Oh you're not bringing up the bloody cat again are you!" She said laughing a little and Fitz joined in.

A thought suddenly hit him. "Do you remember when we did Koenig's lie test?"

"Of course. Though it can't be very good if Ward was able to pass it." She said with a grumble.

"Do you remember the question about washing up on a desert island?"

"And there's a box and you can have anything inside it."

"What did you say?"

"The T.A.R.D.I.S. Preferably with the Doctor inside it."

He smiled. Of course she did. "Which Doctor?"

"Matt Smith's Doctor."

"Really, I'd go for Tom Baker."

"You just like the scarf." Jemma said with a smile. "Anyway what did you say?"

"You."

"What?"

"I said I'd want you in the box. Of course I didn't think the box would end up in the middle of the ocean"

"Leo." He couldn't tell if she looked touched or she thought he was demented.

"You know I love you right?"

"I love you too." She said instantly.

Now or never. "No. I mean _I love you_." He emphasised.

"What do you mean?" Jemma asked frowning.

"I mean." He took a deep breath. "I mean I love you more than I've loved everyone I've ever known in my life put together. I don't love you like a friend and I don't love you like a sister. I'm saying _I love you_." He enunciated the words and stood up. "I. Love. You. And I'm just going to say it one more time because it feels _so good_ to. I love you." He moved into the middle of the room. "And I am _so sorry_ I didn't say it sooner."

Jemma stood up and slowly walked forward to meet him in the middle of the room.

For a while she didn't say anything she just looked him in the eye her mouth pressed in a hard line and Fitz felt his stomach roll. She didn't feel the same, she was trying to think of a kind way to let him down.

She put her hands on his face and pulled him towards her.

"I love you too Leo. I've loved you for _so long_. I just wish you'd said something sooner." And then she pressed her lips to his.

All the times he'd pictured kissing Jemma put together didn't come close to the real thing. It was soft and sweet just like her. When they parted Fitz pulled her into his arms and they both stood there a while listening to the waves lapping against the sides of their metal container.

Jemma pulled back suddenly. "Fitz we're sinking." She said her voice high with panic.

He turned and could see water at the bottom of the window.

"If we're sinking…"

"We're running out of oxygen." Jemma finished. "This container was built to withstand pressure but if we sink too far…"

"It'll rupture." Fitz said. "Okay." He started scanning their steel cage looking for anything that could be used as a floatation device.

"There should be an emergency kit." Jemma said.

"But where."

"Oh I don't know everything got knocked over."

They both started moving around conscious to stand exactly opposite from one another in case any sudden movements knocked the box over and made them sink quicker.

"What's this?" Fitz said and rummaging under some polystyrene pulled out a yellow safety boat. "Wow that's very convenient." He said in slight awe of their luck.

"Never mind that we need to get out of here before the whole thing sinks." Jemma urged.

"Okay there are handles on the side of the door we can hold. Now if I open the door you can hold the boat and we can open it once we get outside."

"If the force of the water doesn't kill us." Jemma tacked on.

"We're not going to die." Fitz said firmly. They were not finally going to admit their feelings to one another just to die a few minutes later. They were good people they deserved better.

"Ready." He said taking his place by the door. Of course as soon as Jemma moved near him the bloody box tipped forward and she had to back up to the other side.

"Oh Fitz this won't work." She sounded like she was on the edge of hysterics.

"Hang on." He said and thought it through. "If we move enough of the equipment to the other side of the room it should balance us out."

"How do we do that?" Jemma said.

Fitz inched along his wall. "Every time I push something over take a step towards me okay."

"Okay."

He rolled the cot over first allowing Jemma to take four steps over. He slid over boxes and metal containers until she was a few steps away from him. "Okay I reckon we'll be okay now come hold on."

She stood next to him and held onto the same handle. Fitz passed her the yellow boat.

"On three?"

"On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

He pushed the door open and fought against the current as the cold water pushed in around them making him gasp. When it came up the their knees he felt the box make a sudden drop down and in what felt like seconds the water was up to their chest.

"Let's go." He yelled out over the noise.

He grabbed her hand which made swimming more difficult but they were both able to manoeuvre outside the box and after swimming a little distance Jemma pulled the cord and the yellow boat sprung open.

Fitz pushed Jemma into it first and rolled in after her both of them now shivering in their drenched clothes.

"Wow, we really are lucky that boat was in there." Fitz said after a breath.


End file.
